Operating attachment for washtubs



Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

,UNI-TED STAT-Es HARRY A, SMITH, or MONDOVI,wasnnverron.A

YOPERATING ATTACHMENT FOR WASITUBSQ Application med August .9,"1924, serial 116.731,122. Y

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that L Hauur A. SM1-rn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mondov, in the county of Lincoln and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in O erating iittachments for lVashtubs, of w ich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to anoperating attachment for washing machines and its object .is to provide mechanical means with which.. the washing may be done in an ordinary tub with ease. d The device, which is preferablyhand-operated, carries a plunger on the reciprocating and oscllating shaft, and on this plunger the material to be washed is secured by a plurality of clips provided around its edge. In this manner the material is rmly held while being agitated in the water and a thorough cleaning is performed.

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device with some parts broken away;

Fig.' 2 is a section on theline 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the plunger and the securing means.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 10 .represents a wash tub of any well-known type.` Upon the top edge of the tub is mounted an annulus 11 which has a downwardly directed flange 12 fitting within the top edge of the tub and around this flange is provided an annular bead or rim which rests on the edge of the tub. The annulus extends solne distance above the top edge of the tub and terminates with an inwardly directed annular flange 13. In this manner a (L'onsiderable depth is added to the tub `so that it may hold a greater amount of clothes to be vwashed than usual. The annulus 11 has three or more depending lips 14 which are threaded and adapted to each receive a thumb screw 15 for clamping the adaptor to the tub.

A lid 16 of slightly greater diameter than the opening 17 formed by the flange 13 on the annulus 1l closes the top of the tub and rests with its outer edge upon the flange 13. At one side of the lid hinges ,18 are provided so that the lid may be raised Without removing the Same from the tub. 1n order to secure the lid in locked position, one or more buttons 19 are providedl on the flange 13 which are pivoted on rivets 2O in order to be turned inwardly in engagement with 26 having a spherical head 27 engaging F corresponding jaws 28 ofk a reciprocating bar 29. This bar is adapted to slide in a sleeve 30 secured on the operating shaft 31y of the device.

The operating shaft 31 is carried with its axis vertically in a standard 32 on the carrier 21, as best seen in Figure 2, and is of sufiicient length to permit of reciprocation in the standard for the full swing of the crank 26. At the lower end of the operating shaft 31 is secured, by means cfa latch 33, a plunger 34. The' latter' has the Vshape of a hollow cone and along the outer periphery at the base of the cone are provided clips 35. These yclips are preferably made of spring wire and securedv on the upper side of the cone in any suitable manner, as indicated in Figure 3. The upper ends of the clips are inclined inwardly from the edge of the plunger. The clips are arcuate and their yShanks 36 are spaced apart from each other a short distan-ce to permit the insertion of the material to be washed between theshanks so that the material is firmly held during the operation of the machine. After the tub has been filled to a sutliident height with hot water and. soap suds while the lid is open, the clothes or other material to be washed4 are secured around the edge of the plunger 34 in the clips 35. The lid is then closed and locked by the latches 19,

whereupon the crank handle 25 is turned.'

The rotary motion of the crank 26 is then converted into an oscillatory and reciprocatory inotionof the Voperating shaft 31 and the plunger 34. The elements for produce ing this combined motion of the vplunger have been more fully shown and described in my Patent No. 1,501,471, and form no part of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: A l

An operating attachment "for Wash tubs comprising an annulus fitting the top Aedge 0f the tub, a plungerl suspended inthe tub' from the annulus, upstanding resilient clothes-retaining clips Vround 4the outer periphery of the plunger each consisting of straight side portionssecured at their lower ends to the plunger and" arcuate portions 'connecting the upper 'endslof the iside p0rtons, the Clothes being clamped by-tnd between the opposed straight Side portions of 'adjacent elipsyfand'means 0n the annulus to operate the plunger.

In testiinonyhreof I alx my signature.

HARRY A. SMITH. [1.. s.] 

